2021 GuideGuide FIELD DAY - PART 2: ADDITIONAL IN-PERSON EVENTS - Practical Farmers of Iowa
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PRACTICAL FARMERS OF IOWA
2021
FIELD DAY
Guide
PART 2: ADDITIONAL IN-PERSON EVENTS
practicalfarmers.org
THANK YOU TO OUR 2
LEVEL A SPONSORS!
WELTER SEED
HONE Y
BE E
& HONEY CO.
(800) 470-3325
www.welterseed.com
Finest Quality Seeds
Visit page 14 to see the rest of our major sponsors!
3
TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
4-5 Welcome!
Background, Logistics, Guidelines and More
PFI FIELD DAYS & LIVESTOCK ON THE LAND SCREENINGS
6-12 PFI Field Days
13 Livestock on the Land Screenings
SPONSORS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
2-3, 14 Sponsors
15 Acknowledgements
WELCOME!
WELCOME TO PRACTICAL FARMERS’ 2021 FIELD DAY SEASON!
Welcome to July! Though July is an unusual time to receive your PFI field day guide, as vaccination rates climb and
COVID-19 cases have fallen, we have worked with farmers to build this additional line-up of field days. These field
days do not require pre-registration or RSVPs, and there are no caps on attendance – but some event hosts have
requested RSVPs to help with meal planning, and all events have an option to RSVP if you want to let us know you’ll
be attending.
The field days listed here are in addition to our two on-going summer events series, for which you can find
schedules and more information at practicalfarmers.org/field-days:
• “Catching Up” – our intentionally small, invitation-based on-farm gatherings (See the list of events and sign
yourself up on PFI’s website). Over 50 “Catching Up” events are occurring across Iowa this summer!
• “Live From the Farm” – our new version of virtual field days, streamed live on Tuesdays, on PFI’s YouTube
Channel. Miss a “Live From the Farm” episode? Re-watch on PFI’s YouTube page!
FARMER-LED EVENTS
At Practical Farmers of Iowa, we have a unique learning model: Our events are led by our farmer members. We
know that farmers are the experts on their farming systems, decisions, challenges and solutions, and we are
thankful so many farmer-leaders believe that sharing their knowledge, discoveries, mistakes and successes benefits
everyone. Be prepared to explore topics that span the agricultural spectrum. We offer summer-season event topics
on production, land stewardship, conservation, local foods and more.
4
OPEN TO EVERYONE
Field days, like our other summer events, are all free and open to everyone. At Practical Farmers, we take pride
in our big tent that includes farms of all sizes and a diversity of production practices. This big tent extends to the
many non-farmers who support our work, values and the sense of community created in PFI. You don’t need to be a
member or farmer to attend: We welcome and invite anyone to attend and learn from our field days.
PFI is committed to the long-term work of racial equity in Iowa’s food and farming system. As such, we are working
to ensure that welcoming everyone includes creating welcoming spaces for farmers of color at our events and in
our gathering spaces.
CIVILITY COMMITMENT
Our commitment is to learn from each other. We acknowledge differences in beliefs, values, politics, culture,
interests and experiences.
WE COMMIT TO:
• Listening respectfully to each other
• Recognizing and respecting different levels of understanding
• Actively seeking common ground
• Creating an environment free from language and symbols that are hostile,
intimidating or abusive of others
LOGISTICS
All PFI events occur rain or shine. All of our field days and 2021 summer events are free. When traveling to our
field days, look for directional field day signs with our logo on it.
RSVPs are accepted for all events at practicalfarmers.org/field-days, or by calling the office at (515) 232-5661.
Events where RSVPs are specifically requested are noted throughout.
QUESTIONS?
Contact the PFI office at info@practicalfarmers.org or (515) 232-5661.
SPANISH SUMMER EVENTS GUIDE
To receive our Spanish summer events guide, please contact Celize Christy at celize@practicalfarmers.org or
call (515) 232-5661.
Para recibir nuestra guía de eventos del verano en español, comuníquese con Celize Christy a
celize@practicalfarmers.org o llame (515) 232-5661.
LOOKING FOR MORE EVENTS OR INFORMATION?
In addition to the events listed in this guide, Practical Farmers organizes events and workshops all year
long. Be sure to check our website often (practicalfarmers.org) for the most up-to-date schedule,
visit us on social media or become a PFI member to get notified about upcoming events.
in
5
Relay-Cropping Rye and Soybeans
Tuesday, July 13 | 2-4 p.m.
Host: Alec Amundson | Green Country Farms
Address: 3386 Hickory Ave. | Osage, Iowa 50461
Alec planted cereal rye in the fall and then planted soybeans into the rye in
the spring. We’ll meet at Alec’s homeplace and then board a hay rack to travel
to a nearby field to get a look at the cereal rye and soybeans just prior to rye
seed harvest. Snacks and beverages will be provided.
Alec Amundson operates Green Country Farms in Mitchell County,
The Farm
Iowa, where he raises corn, soybeans and rye. The Amundsons use
cover crops, no-till and have been relay cropping since 2018.
• Equipment for relay-cropping
Topics
Organic Crops and Cover Crops
Thursday, July 22 | 4-6 p.m.
Host: Sam Bennett | Bennett Farms
Address: 1673 Market Ave. | Galva, IA 51020
Field Address: 1658 Pioneer Ave. | Schaller, Iowa 51053
Join Sam to talk about transitioning to organic cropping systems and general
cover cropping strategies. We’ll meet at Sam’s home (Market Avenue) before
travelling to a nearby organic corn field (Pioneer Avenue). Drinks and snacks
will be provided.
Sam Bennett and his wife, Danielle, raise corn, soybeans and small
The Farm
grains with Sam’s family on a 2,000-acre operation in Ida County,
Iowa. They use cover crops, no-till and strip-till to work toward their • Organic corn
Topics
goals of improving soil health, conservation, nutrient management • Weed management
and water quality, and creating habitat. • Soil fertility for organic cropping
6
Realizing a Vision for
Habitat Restoration
Thursday, July 22 | 5-7 p.m.
Host: Don Eyerly | Eyerly Farm
Address: 1671 Fox Trail | Winterset, IA 50263
Speakers:
Kelsey Fleming – private lands biologist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Nate Schmitz – wildlife specialist, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
When it comes to restoring and managing native habitat on private lands,
knowing where to start can be a daunting prospect. Join landowner Don Eyerly
and biologists from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to explore
some of the habitat restoration work that Don and his family have undertaken
on their Madison County, Iowa, farm. You’ll also learn about programs like the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Reserve
Program (CRP) and the Iowa Habitat and Access Program (IHAP) that provide
technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in conservation.
The Landowner
Don Eyerly is a landowner from Madison County, Iowa. Don has
experience using a range of conservation programs to restore different
types of habitat on his property. He has worked closely with conservation
professionals from several agencies and organizations to shape and • Habitat
implement a vision for his property that includes a diverse mosaic of Topics • Conservation programs
native habitat. • Wildlife
Compost Management, Interplanting and
No-Till Vegetable Production at Brun Ko Farm
Friday, July 23 | 3-5 p.m.
Hosts: Emily & Nathan Paulsen | Brun Ko Farm
Address: 2920 Falcon Ave. | Exira, IA 50076
Nathan and Emily Paulsen combine a spirit of innovation, passion for local
food and pride in their Danish heritage and Iowa roots to guide their vision
for Brun Ko Farm (Brun Ko is Danish for “brown cow”). For this field day,
we will tour their farm to see how their livestock and horticulture systems
interact. Manure and garden waste contribute to compost that is eventually
formed into production beds (using a bed shaper of Nathan’s own creation!)
that are interplanted with vegetables to maximize productivity and keep living
roots in the soil as often as possible. This event will highlight the rhythm of
these on-farm processes for a family that values their land and community.
Nathan and Emily Paulsen own and operate Brun Ko Farm, located
The Farm
3 miles east of Elk Horn, Iowa. They raise pastured beef and pork, in
• Compost management
Topics
addition to eggs, honey and a wide variety of vegetables. They sell
their products through the Elk Horn Farmers Market and direct from • No-till vegetable production
the farm. • Intercropping
7
Benefits of Companion Planting &
Value-Added Enterprises at Walker Homestead
Sunday, Aug. 1 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Hosts: Kristy & Bob Walker | Walker Homestead
Address: 3867 James Ave. SW | Iowa City, IA 52246
RSVPs appreciated for refreshments following the event by July 28.
At this field day, Kristy and Bob will walk us through their on-farm research
project investigating the benefits of companion planting alongside their
vineyards as a solution for pest management. We’ll learn about their various
enterprises and how they integrate agritourism at the homestead. Light
refreshments will be provided, and wine for tasting.
The Farm
Kristy and Bob Walker started Walker Homestead near Iowa City,
Iowa, in 2013, which includes an organic market garden, an orchard
and vineyard, pasture and crop ground and a small venue. They’re
hoping to add winter wheat to their crop ground.
• Companion flower planting
Topics • Value-added enterprises
• Agritourism
Cover Crops From Start to Finish
Friday, Aug. 6 | 4-6 p.m.
Hosts: Anne & Landon Plagge | Plagge Farms
Address: 1560 Heather Ave. | Latimer, IA 50452
RSVPs appreciated for dinner following the event by Aug. 3.
Join Anne and Landon Plagge as they walk through the full cycle of cover crop
seed production. We’ll look at their seed cleaner, which they will be using for
oats and rye harvested on their farm this year, as well as their seed mixer.
We’ll then see how they get cover crops in the ground and check out their air
seeder. Later, we’ll take a break from equipment and visit a nearby soybean
field, where they planted green in the spring. Dinner will be served following
the event.
Photo courtesy of Anne Plagge
The Plagges operate Plagge Farms near Latimer, Iowa. Together with
The Farm
family, they raise corn, soybeans, oats, rye and hogs, and use cover
• Small-grain seed-cleaning
Topics
crops and no-till on all their acres. They started a cover crop business
in 2020 and hope their business can help others in their local area • Cover crop seed mixing
adopt cover crops. • Cover crop seeding equipment
8
Silvopasture by Subtraction:
Using Livestock & Forestry Mowing
Saturday, Aug. 7 | 10 a.m.-Noon
Hosts: Dayna Burtness & Nick Nguyen | Nettle Valley Farm
Bailey Lutz | Listenmore Farm
The Farms
Dayna Burtness (she/her) and her husband, Nick
Heidi Eger | Radicle Heart Farm Nguyen (he/him), run Nettle Valley Farm, a 70-acre
farmstead near Spring Grove, Minnesota. Together,
Address: 23970 County Road 19 | Spring Grove, MN 55974 they finish heritage-breed hogs on pasture and
Speaker: Karin Jokela – biologist, the Xerces Society actively work with the Xerces Society to restore and
manage habitat on the farm. Dayna also manages the
Join farmers Dayna Burtness, Bailey Lutz and Heidi Eger to talk about how
farm’s new Incubator Farm Program, which Bailey
innovative silvopasture systems can benefit both livestock native pollinators
Lutz and Heidi Eger are part of.
while helping with habitat management. Learn how Bailey, Heidi and Dayna are
working to control undesirable plants in the woods and reintroduce understory Bailey Lutz (they/them) is a young queer farmer
diversity. We’ll also hear from Xerces Society biologist Karin Jokela about steps motivated by right relationship with land and food
farmers can take to help pollinators adapt to climate change and thrive on the ecosystems that work for all. In 2021, Bailey is
farm. Note: This event will involve walking over uneven terrain; we recommend exploring using their goats in a silvopasture system
that participants wear pants and walking shoes. If participants are coming from with multiple potential benefits for livestock, habitat
or going to a place that has livestock, biosecurity booties will be required. and wildlife.
Heidi Eger (she/her) of Radicle Heart Farm raises
• Silvopasture • Restoring understory diversity
Topics
100% grass-fed lamb and mutton and pastured,
• Timber management • Climate change organically fed chicken. Her favorite thing about
• Using livestock to manage • Pollinators farming is working to manage her animals in ways
invasive species • Goats that improve the health of the ecosystem.
Corn and Cover Crops
Saturday, Aug. 21 | 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Hosts: Nathan & Sarah Anderson | Bobolink Prairie Farms
Shane Susie, Roger Wilcox, John Wilcox | Wilcox Farms
Address: 3550 170th St. | Correctionville, IA 51016
Note: The field day is 1 mile south of the Rock Branch Church and one-half mile east.
Speaker: Alison Robertson – plant pathologist, Iowa State University
Join these farming neighbors to learn about their goals for cover cropping, which
include soil improvement, grazing forage, primary crop health and yield, and weed
control. Alison Robertson, a professor of plant pathology and microbiology at ISU, will
also be on hand to discuss her lab team’s research on the implications for crop disease
management when using cover crops. See planter set-up for no-till planting into cover
crops and live cover crop seeding demos.
The Farms
Nathan and Sarah Anderson, PFI lifetime members, own and operate Bobolink
• Cover crop seeded after small grains
Topics
Prairie Farms near Aurelia, Iowa, raising corn, soybeans, cattle, small grains and hay.
Shane Susie, Roger Wilcox and John Wilcox raise corn, soybeans, and small • Cover crop seeding equipment demos
grains near Correctionville, Iowa. They also operate Wolf Creek Seeds, a corn and • Corn following rye cover crop
soybean seed dealership, and Old 20 Ag, a cover crop seed and seeding business. • Grazing cover crops
9
Cover Crops & Saturated Buffers:
Teaming Up for Better Water Quality
In partnership with Polk County Soil and Water Conservation District
Monday, Aug. 23 | 10 a.m.-Noon Note: Because drones can't be flown in the rain,
this event has a backup date of Sept. 3.
Host: Lee Tesdell | Tesdell Century Farm
Address: 300 NW 158th Ave. | Slater, IA 50244
RSVPs appreciated for lunch following the event by Aug. 18.
Implementing cover crops and conservation practices on your farm takes the
right tools – and the right team! During this field day, landowner Lee Tesdell
and tenant-farmer Mike Helland will show and discuss in-field and edge-of-
field conservation practices they have implemented together over the last
10 years. The field day will feature a demonstration of drone-seeding cover
crops, including a multi-species swarm seeding by Rantizo.
Attendees will also see a saturated buffer and learn about ongoing
• Cover crops
Topics
opportunities for implementing conservation measures on their own farms.
The field day will conclude with lunch, conversation and a visit from the • Drone seeding
• Multi-species seeding
Heartland Co-op Conservation Trailer. Come early for coffee and rolls!
• Saturated buffers
• Landowner-tenant collaboration
The Farm
Lee Tesdell owns Tesdell Century Farm near Slater, Iowa. He works
with his farm tenants, Charles and Mike Helland, to address soil • Watershed conservation programs
conservation, habitat and water quality issues by using edge-of-field
and in-field practices. Lee was PFI’s 2019 Farmland Owner Legacy
Sponsored by:
Award recipient. Center for Rural Affairs, Rantizo
Partnering With a Neighboring
Cattle Farmer to Graze Cover Crops
Saturday, Aug. 28 | 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Host: John Burger | Burger Farms
Address: 17144 298th Ave. | Udell, IA 52593
Partnering with your neighbors can be a win-win situation. John Burger
will discuss his first five years of experience with cover crops and how he’s
working with his neighbor, Craig Swaby, to graze those cover crops. They’ll
discuss drilling cover crops, strip grazing, soil health test results, compaction,
crop yield and how they work out the financials in this arrangement. Craig
will show attendees his fencing and watering set-up.
John Burger and his uncle, Richard, raise row crops near Udell, Iowa,
The Farm
and have been experimenting with cover crops for five years. They
• Grazing cover crops
Topics
have been working with their neighbor, Craig Swaby, to graze cover
crops for four years. • Working with neighbors
• Fence and water
• Soil health
• Economics
10Building a Small, Diversified Farm
From Scratch
Saturday, Sept. 18 | 4-6 p.m.
Host: Phrakhounmany “Air” Philavanh
Address: 18204 Quincy St. | Milo, IA 50166
RSVPs appreciated for dinner following the event by Sept. 14.
Join Air on a tour of his very diverse farm. Originally from Laos, Air settled
in Iowa and purchased a farm in Warren County in 2010. Over the last
decade, he’s built his operation from scratch, raising diversified livestock
and horticulture crops on 11 acres. A self-described “Laotian cowboy,” Air will
showcase his Muscovy ducks, goats, veggie garden and livestock guardian
dogs. His products are sold to immigrant communities around Des Moines.
Following the farm tour, a meal will be shared and music will be played on his
newly constructed stage.
• Running a small, diversified farm
Topics
The Farm
Phrakhounmany “Air” Philavanh farms on 11 acres near Milo, Iowa, • Goats and ducks
raising a diversity of livestock and crops. Air immigrated to Iowa from • Vegetables
Laos in 1984 and started farming in 2010. He loves to share what he’s • Starting from scratch
learned with other immigrant communities in Iowa, his neighbors and • DIY projects
his family and friends in Laos. His goal is to re-create a simple Laotian
farm, applying lessons from his grandfather, to showcase history and
farmer ingenuity.
Farmland Owner Legacy Award Celebration
+ Beginning Farmer Showcase
Saturday, Sept. 25 | 5-7 p.m.
Host: Rose & Mike Roelf & Practical Farmers of Iowa
Address: 3169 Rapid Creek Trail NE | Iowa City, IA 52240
Rose and Mike Roelf are Practical Farmers’ 2021 Farmland Owner Legacy
Award recipients. This award is granted annually to landowners who help the
next generation get started, advance land stewardship and promote long-term
sustainability of farm businesses, environmental quality and rural communities.
Rose, Mike and their beginning farmer tenants will discuss farmland access
and budding farm businesses, and Rose and Mike will receive the Farmland
Owner Legacy Award at this field day.
This event will start with a farm walk, where Rosemary’s beginning farmer
tenants will showcase their diverse enterprises, including pigs, bees and
Singing Goat Farm is just north of Iowa City,
The Farm
vegetables, and talk about farmland access and starting a farm. The walk will be
followed by the Farmland Owner Legacy Award ceremony and dinner crafted Iowa, and has been in Rose’s family since the
1960’s. Since acquiring the property in 2014, Rose
by area chefs. The evening will be capped off with a networking reception.
and Mike have built infrastructure and provided
Beginning farmer speakers and tour leaders include: affordable access to equipment and land for
Corbin Scholz, Joe Klingelhutz, Ilsa Dewald and Will Kresse multiple beginning vegetable farmers.
11Raising 100% Grass-Fed Beef
in Row-Crop Country
Wednesday, Sept. 29 | 4-7 p.m.
Hosts: Amanda & Knute Severson | Grand View Beef
Address: 1591 Nelson Ave. | Clarion, IA 50525
RSVPs appreciated for dinner following the event by Sept. 24.
Amanda and Knute Severson, owners of Grand View Beef, will tag-team this
field day. Knute will discuss grass-finishing, grazing management and the
value grass has brought to Grand View Beef and his parent’s operation (since
converting acres from row crops to pasture). Amanda will speak about direct-
to-consumer sales, wholesale partnerships and social media’s role in these
relationships. We’ll end the field day with Grand View Beef burgers on the grill!
The Farm
The Severson family owns Grand View Beef, raising 100% grass-fed
• Grass-finishing beef
Topics
beef from birth to harvest on their century family farm in Clarion,
• Grazing
Iowa. The family takes great pride in animal husbandry practices that
• Direct and wholesale marketing
ensure the cattle lead a calm and humane life. Cows are born and
• Social media
raised on the farm, eating a diet consisting only of their mother’s milk
(until weaned), grass, alfalfa and hay. The Seversons use intensive
rotational grazing to improve soil health and capture carbon. Beef is
available by individual cuts, bundles and beef shares, and able to be
shipped to most Midwestern states.
Meat Marketing Endeavors
Friday, Oct. 22 | 4-6 p.m.
Host: Nick Wallace | Wallace Farms
Address: 1531 74th St. | Keystone, IA 52249
RSVPs appreciated for dinner following the event by Oct. 18.
Visit Nick Wallace’s farm to hear about his past, present and future endeavors
in meat marketing. We’ll tour the cooler and freezer space where he stores
and packs orders, and discuss the infrastructure and organization it takes to
aggregate products from multiple farms. After the tour and discussion, he’ll
fire up his food truck for dinner!
• Meat marketing
Topics
Nick Wallace is a farmer, entrepreneur and lifetime member of PFI
The Farm
with 15 years of experience in various forms of pasture-raised and • Aggregation
grass-fed meat marketing. Nick owns and operates Wallace Farms • Infrastructure
near Keystone, Iowa, selling his own meat and other farmers’ meats
over the internet.
12COMING SOON
to a barn-side near you:
Livestock
on the Land
Join us August through October for outdoor screenings of
PFI's first feature-length film, “Livestock on the Land.” Each screening will
be followed by a discussion and Q&A with farmers from the film.
- Stay tuned to PFI's news and website for exact dates and locations around Iowa -
- All screenings will be free for anyone to attend -
About the film: “Livestock on the Land” is a story by Practical Farmers of Iowa about the ways that
farmers are building a regenerative agriculture by centering their operations around the animals they care
for. Whether it's through rotational grazing, cover crops or fertility for crop fields, livestock hold the key
to protecting our soil, cleaning up our water and even providing habitat for wildlife. But most importantly,
livestock give farmers a chance to get started, grow businesses, provide for their families, work together
and, ultimately, bring back the next generation to continue the tradition.
Learn more about the film
practicalfarmers.org/programs/livestock/livestock-on-the-land
To see PFI’s full summer events roster, visit practicalfarmers.org/field-days
13THANK YOU TO OUR
LEVEL B SPONSORS!
THANK YOU TO OUR
LEVEL C SPONSORS!
• ARTi: Advanced Renewable • Riverside Feeds, LLC
Technology International, Inc.
• TH Fabrication LLC
• Henry A. Wallace Chair for
Sustainable Agriculture, ISU • USDA-NRCS
14ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
These field days are supported by the following grants and funders
The Agriculture and Food Research Initiative of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S.
Department of Agriculture, under 2019-68008-29909 subaward number 021155.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR203A750001C038.
The Wildlife Conservation Society Climate Adaptation Fund, supported by the Doris Duke Charitable
Foundation.
Financial support from the EPA under an Assistance Agreement
The Ceres Trust
The Natural Resources Conservation Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under number
NR186114XXXXG002.
USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, Local Food Promotion Program, under agreement No.
AM200100XXXXG188.
Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the
author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
15PRACTICAL FARMERS of Iowa 1 6 1 5 G olden A spe n Drive , Suite 1 0 1 A m e s , IA 5 0010 PR AC T I C A LFA R MER S. O R G
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